Play devices principally for jumping or skipping

ABSTRACT

Detailed are play and exercise devices providing dynamic distance between a housing and a collar or loop positioned about a limb (typically ankle) of a user. Elastic cord may be used to connect the housing and loop and to allow their relative distances to change in use. The cord also may itself form the loop, avoiding any need for a separate such component.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/542,846, filed Oct. 4, 2011, and having the same title as appears above, the entire contents of which provisional patent application are hereby incorporated herein by this reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This application relates to toys or play things and more particularly, although not necessarily exclusively, to devices rotatable by a user while jumping or skipping.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,675 to Arad, et al., details an example of a rotatable “skipping toy.” The toy includes a collar intended to be placed loosely about an ankle of a person. Attached to an end of and extending from the collar is a shaft, whose opposed end is attached to a drum. The elongated shaft is designed to connect the drum to the collar “at a predetermined distance therefrom,” see Arad, col. 1, 11. 49-51, and thus is inextensible in use.

Another example of such a toy is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,101,321 to Kessler. It too includes a collar or ring “through which one foot is placed” as well as a drum or ball. See Kessler, col. 1, 11. 10-11. Connecting the ring and ball is “a flattened element which is twisted or spiraled” and includes “day glow” dye. See id., col. 2, 11. 27-28 and 39-40. Although the twisted connector may rotate about an axis through an associated pivot section when in use, it is intended to be “strong and either rigid or [only] slightly flexible.” See id., col. 3, 11. 21-22. Accordingly, it neither expands nor contracts in operation.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,679 to Menow illustrates yet another exemplary skipping toy with a collar and a drum or housing. Connecting the collar and housing is an elongated tether. Like the shaft of the Arad patent and the twisted connector of the Kessler patent, the tether too is “of a predetermined length.” It thus also is inextensible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Although these existing toys seem capable of functioning as play things, each operates in the same manner by intentionally providing a static, predetermined distance between collar and housing. By contrast, play—as well as exercise work outs—potentially could be improved by providing dynamic distance between collar and housing. Accordingly, the present invention incorporates a connector of variable length into the jumping or skipping device, thus distinguishing it from existing such toys.

At least some versions of the invention may include an elastic (“shock”) cord as a connector to a housing or ball. This cord, further, may itself be used also to form the collar or ring to be positioned about a user's ankle. This structure results in both the connector and the collar being extensible while avoiding any need for the separate collar of existing toys.

Additional components of the device may comprise a cover for the looped section of the cord functioning as the collar or ring as well as means for connecting the cord and the ball. Although inclusion of the cover is optional, if included it may assist in making and retaining the loop of cord. Other temporary or permanent fasteners may be used instead or additionally. Similarly, the cord may be temporarily or permanently connected to the ball in any suitable manner. In a presently-preferred embodiment of the invention, such connection occurs using a bearing, crimp, and cap positioned at least partially within a bounded channel of an otherwise hollow ball.

It thus is an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide devices for play or exercise.

It is also an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide jumping or skipping devices for positioning about a user's limb (such as an ankle).

It is a further optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide devices utilizing an elastic connector between a collar or loop and a housing or ball.

It is, moreover, an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide an elastic connector also functioning as the collar or loop.

It is an additional optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide attachment means for creating a connected structure including loop, ball, and connector.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the appropriate art with reference to the remaining text and the drawings of this application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the device of FIG. 1 showing, particularly, a housing or ball.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the ball of FIGS. 1-3 and associated fastening components.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the ball of FIGS. 1-4 taken along line A-A of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is an expanded view of a portion of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Illustrated in FIGS. 1-2 is exemplary device 10 consistent with the present invention. Device 10 may be a toy or play thing useful as a substitute for any or all of the devices of the Arad, Kessler, and Menow patents or other existing items. Device 10 also may be useful for purposes of exercising or otherwise.

Included as part of device 10 are connector 14 and a mass such as ball 18. Connector 14 is elastic and hence extensible in use. A presently-preferred connector 14 is a length of shock cord, although other elastic materials may be used instead. Ball 18 advantageously may be a generally spherical, mainly hollow object as shown in FIGS. 1-6. It need not be shaped or configured in these ways, however. Indeed, ball 18 instead could in some cases be similar to any of the drums or housings of the Arad, Kessler, and Menow patents. Thus, in at least this sense the term “ball” as used herein is not necessarily limited to spherical or mainly hollow objects.

As depicted in FIG. 1, first end region 22 of connector 14 may be bent in non-linear manner to form collar or loop 26. Because connector 14 is elastic, it bends without difficulty so loop 26 may be formed easily. By directly or indirectly connecting first end region 22 to itself as shown in FIGS. 1-2, loop 26 is created. If the connection is not permanent, loop 26 may be resized merely by changing positions at which first end region 22 attaches to itself.

FIGS. 1-2 show crimp 30 as connecting first end region 22 to itself. Alternatively or additionally, such connection may be made by optional cover 34. If present, cover 34 also may function as a bearing surface against a user's ankle or other limb; if made of suitable material, it may protect connector 14 from wear and the user's body from frictional injury as device 10 rotates thereabout.

Second end region 38 of connector 14 may attach directly or indirectly to ball 18. FIGS. 5-6 depict channel 42 formed within ball 18, with channel-forming wall 46 positioned (preferably) centrally inside the (preferably) hollow interior of the ball 18. Wall 46 beneficially is sized and shaped so as to receive connector 14 in the channel 42 relatively snugly. Thus if, for example, connector 14 is generally cylindrical, so may be channel 42. As shown, openings 44A and 44B of ball 18 may define opposed endpoints of the channel 42.

FIGS. 5-6 also illustrate enlarged portion 46A of wall 46 thus defining enlarged portion 42A of channel 42. Enlarged portion 42A may also receive connection assembly 50 for retaining connector 14 in ball 18. Assembly 50 may include bearing 54, crimp 58, and cap 62, all of which may cooperate with portion 46A. Bearing 54 and cap 62, in particular, may be fitted frictionally within portion 42A, with flange 66 of cap 62 abutting shelf 70 of ball 18 at opening 44B. By merely prying or otherwise removing cap 62 from opening 44B, second end region 38 may be exposed and disconnected from assembly 50 for replacement, repair, or shortening of connector 14. Of course, persons skilled in the field of the invention will recognize that connector 14 may attach to ball 18 in manners other than as explicitly described herein and that the attachment could be permanent if desired.

To utilize assembled device 10, a user may position loop 26 about, for example, an ankle of a first leg of his or her body. By moving the ankle slightly circularly, the user may cause loop 26 to rotate about the ankle, with the rotating motion then transferred by connector 14 to ball 18. Ball 18 too therefore rotates; because connector 14 typically is longer than the normal distance between the user's legs, the user must repeatedly lift or otherwise move his or her second leg to avoid contact with rotating ball 18. If the user is standing, this movement results in the user jumping or skipping as the ball 18 passes the second leg.

Additionally, because ball 18 has mass, centrifugal forces act to cause elastic connector 14 to lengthen as the ball 18 rotates. This dynamic lengthening of connector 14 produces different physical behavior of device 10 than were connector 14 wholly or mainly inextensible, providing a different exercise work out than is supplied by conventional devices.

The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing embodiments of the present invention. Modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For example, ball 18 may be illuminated by one or more light sources positioned therein or thereon. If a light source is contained within ball 18, the ball 18 may be made—in whole or in part—of transparent or translucent material so that illumination is visible external to the ball 18. The contents of the Arad, Kessler, and Menow patents are incorporated herein in their entireties by this reference. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A play or exercise device comprising: a. a mass; b. a collar configured for placement in use about a limb of a user; and c. variable-length means for connecting the mass and the collar.
 2. A device according to claim 1 in which the mass is a ball and the variable-length connecting means comprises elongated elastic cord.
 3. A device according to claim 2 in which the ball is illuminated.
 4. A device according to claim 2 in which the ball comprises a channel configured to receive the variable-length connecting means.
 5. A device according to claim 4 in which the ball further comprises first and second openings defining opposed endpoints of the channel.
 6. A device according to claim 5 in which the ball has an interior having a hollow portion and a wall positioned centrally within the interior so as to form the channel.
 7. A device according to claim 4 in which the channel has an enlarged portion abutting the first opening.
 8. A device according to claim 7 further comprising a connection assembly removably fitted into the enlarged portion of the channel so as to retain the variable-length connecting means in the ball.
 9. A device according to claim 8 in which the connection assembly comprises a cap.
 10. A device according to claim 9 in which the ball has an exterior surface and the cap is flush with the exterior surface when the connection assembly is fitted into the enlarged portion of the channel.
 11. A device according to claim 2 in which the variable-length connecting means has a first end region and the collar is formed by bending the first end region in non-linear manner.
 12. A device according to claim 11 further comprising a crimp or cover configured to connect the first end region to itself.
 13. A device according to claim 12 in which the collar may be resized by changing a position at which the first end region connects to itself. 